1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to reloading toner cartridges so as to make them reusable as new. One particular problem associated with reloading cartridges is to properly seal the toner storage chamber in order to prevent toner spillage during handling and transportation. With the advent and popularity of laser printers there has arisen a large demand for toner to supply these printers. Most printer manufacturers have chosen to supply replacement toner in the form of complex toner cartridges which are custom fitted to their particular brand of printer. These cartridges are generally complex and expensive moldings often carrying integral parts of the printer mechanism as a part of their embodiment. The theory was that it would be easy to sell these expensive toner cartridges to users because that was the only way they could get their expensive printer to print. These "throwaway cartridges" represented a significant waste of labor and energy not to mention the additional burden placed on our landfill sites with more non-biodegradable waste. The integral printer parts included with some throwaway cartridges commonly include the finely machined and finished transfer drum along with its bearings and drive gear. The wear and tear encountered by these peripheral parts rarely justifies their replacement upon every toner exhaustion. Since the cartridges were designed to be throwaway in nature there has been no forethought given to the ease with which they might be refilled and resealed.
As time went on and more and more laser printers began to be used, the users began to tire of the $100.00 charge for a refill cartridge every time their laser printer needed toner ink. Entrepreneurs began to refill used toner cartridges with fresh toner and sell the recycled product at far below the cost of a new replacement product. The semi-automation of the recycling process is the next logical step in the progression. This invention semi-automates one important area of the toner cartridge recycling process.
One of the most difficult and perplexing tasks involved in recycling toner cartridges has been resealing the cartridge toner chamber after refilling so as to prevent messy spillage and leakage of the toner during shipping and handling. This is because the factory applied seal is made at a point of partial assembly of the cartridge, whereas the required points of sealing are effectively covered and hidden when the cartridge is fully assembled. One such commonly occurring, but difficult, task involves a situation where an adhesive sealing tape must be applied across a long, relatively wide toner opening wherein the only access to that opening is a tiny slot originally designed to be just large enough to remove the thin strip of adhesive tape. This invention fills an important need by providing a tool for admirably performing that task with ease and dispatch.
It is to be understood from the outset that the scope of this invention is not limited to these fields or to the specific examples of potential uses presented hereinafter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Several United States Patents have been granted which strive for solution of the above mentioned problems or otherwise show some features similar to those of this invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,065 issued to Sernevi on Jul. 21, 1981, shows a pusher rod 17 for inserting foam rubber strips into the ends of tubing members so as to form semipermanent plugs. The disclosure is considered pertinent to the apparatus of the instant invention only in so much as it teaches the insertion by pushing of a flaccid material into a relatively confined opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,845 issued to Maclauchlan on Sep. 1, 1992, shows a pusher 20 for inserting end caps into cigarette boxes. Again the only pertinence to the instant invention is the use of a pusher to insert an object into a relatively inaccessible location.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,851 issued to Williams on Jul. 15, 1986 there is shown a method of filling a dry toner cartridge. The relevance of this patent to the instant invention is in its discussion of grasping the tail 30 of the heat sealed tape and pulling it to break the seal between the tape and the flange 18, thus allowing the toner particles to discharge into the hopper.
None of the above prior art, taken singly or in combination, anticipates or makes obvious the invention claimed herein.